Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

If you’re not watching “So You Think You Can Dance,” you should be. Sure, some of the dancing is breathtaking and the costumes beautiful, but something better is happening. Now, I don’t know a “krump” from a salsa, but I do know that this show entertains me tremendously. More important, however, this show is doing all the things for race relations and good manners that politics, “leaders,” and Emily Post can never do.

To begin the show, the judges and producers paired up the guys and the girls to create competition couples. Now, how or why they paired the couples the way in which they did has not been revealed (and likely will never be) but most of the couples ended up racially mixed. In some cases, black male dancers are paired with white female dancers, and white male dancers are paired with black female dancers. Three of my favorite couples were all mixed: Benji and Donyelle, Musa (who we’ve since lost) and Natalie, and Travis and Martha (who we’ve also lost). For the most part, all of the couples seemed happy with their pairings. For those who were not, their dissatisfaction was evident in both their interactions and their performances, and they did not last very long. In this competition, America votes and the judges provide feedback.

'So You Think You Can Dance': Why Aren't You Watching? (Image: Fox)

If this set-up sounds familiar, that may be because the executive producer of this show is none other than Nigel Lythgoe, one of the executive producers of American Idol. One glaring difference between this show and Idol exists, however: The judges on SYTYCD actually cast the deciding elimination vote early on, and Nigel Lythgoe actually sits on the judges’ panel. Each week, America votes for their favorite couples and of the three unlucky couples receiving the least votes, the judges chose one male and one female to leave the show.

Another difference in this show and idol is the panel of judges. We see Paula, Randy and Simon every week on Idol. On SYTYCD, the panel rotates, with the exception of Nigel. The remaining judges also serve as coaches for the dancers, and on the week one is coaching, he or she sits out of judging. The judges on SYTYCD all seem very supportive of the dancers (unlike the Idol judges) and are never overly negative or ugly to them. Instead, these judges hand out specific, constructive criticism. For example, on one show, two dancers had a first run at ballroom, when they blindly chose the Foxtrot as their number for the week. One is a jazz dancer and the other contemporary, but they did fabulously well with the Foxtrot. Nigel explained to Travis how Fred Astaire used his arms and body to complete moves but went on to say that, otherwise, Travis’s performance was fantastic, especially given that he and his partner had one week to try something totally foreign to them. This is the type of criticism I would like to see more of on Idol. I’m sorry, but “screechy and annoying” is not a useful criticism. “Expand your arms, which will expand your chest” is very useful. I know I’m talking apples and oranges with singing and dancing, but nevertheless, there is a more useful, pleasant way to critique a performance, Simon. You should take lessons from your boss (who I’m liking more with each show, by the way; I’ve almost—emphasis on almost—forgiven him for those radio spots).

So many positive aspects of this show exist. Donyelle proves that you don’t have to be stick thin to be hot, hot, hot. Her samba with Dimitry almost set the stage on fire. Following one performance, Nigel revealed to the audience that Donyelle has issues with her size, but he assured her that she is “one of the sexiest women on that stage.” Nigel is right. In addition, she is generally a fabulous dancer, having conquered just about every genre thrown her way. She should be in the running for the title. Donyelle’s former partner, Benji, is also an extremely versatile dancer. On the last show, Benji danced hip hop and jazz with his new partner (Natalie), and his individual performance was nothing short of amazing. He used his ballroom/swing skills, mixed with good old fashioned showmanship, and had the crowd chanting his name. Both of these dancers are entertaining, energetic, and polite beyond words. When Nigel criticized Benji’s hip-hop number and the crowd began to display its disagreement, Benji asked them to be quiet. Both Benji and Natalie handled Nigel’s criticism quite well, and they were rewarded by accolades from the other three judges. Unlike a certain Idol contestant who tended to back-talk or argue with the judges, Benji and Natalie wanted to hear what they had to say so that they could improve on future performances. This is the way a performer should handle a critique of his or her performance, not talk back to the very people who are giving them a shot. One should never forget the cliché “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The judges are simply trying to help them improve.

Interestingly, I like all of the judges on this show, but far and away, my favorite is Mary Murphy, who is also a ballroom coach. Mary gives meaning to the terms “free spirit.” If she really loves a performance, Mary screams. She cried because Ivan has come so far in his performance skills, and she screamed for Benji and Donyelle. In other words, you get the distinct feeling that these judges really care about the performers and want to see them succeed. They are not just there to make “good television” or create sound bites, which I sometimes feel is Simon Cowell’s main purpose. The dancers seem to take the critiques to heart, as they come out each week, improved in areas in which they were earlier lacking. This show makes for great TV, partly because of the “touchy-feely” judges and in spite of the fact that two people must go each week, which is getting harder each week. I can’t say the same for Simon Cowell’s new disaster, “America’s Got Talent.” How can you judge a singer against a juggler? Don’t get it, and don’t want to.

The other reason this show makes good television is that the dancing pairs on this show seem to really love each other. When Nigel told Benji that he thought he could win and then turned around and told Benji’s partner Donyelle that he thought she could win, Benji kissed Donyelle on the forehead. Yes, they seem to genuinely care about each other, and that feeling seems to continue even though the couples have been broken up for head-to-head competition. The funny thing is that you can tell the audience just loves these dancers. They could care less about Musa having his hand on a white girl’s rear end, or Benji kissing a black girl on the forehead. The crowd loves these people, and they apparently love this show. This show should be required watching for all of America. If we can’t learn anything about race relations and good form in the real world, we can certainly learn a lot here. When I watch this show, I feel that I am watching Utopia. This is how God intended for the world to be. It’s amazing to me sometimes how God uses events and others to teach us a lesson. Sometimes, we get it; sometimes, we don’t. That’s the beauty of the free will with which God has also blessed us–use it to learn a lesson, or sit on it; the choice is yours. The choice is also yours to watch So You Think You Can Dance. Trust me on this: You’ll be missing out on a lot.

SYTYCD is one of the few reality shows I have watched where it’s hard to dislike anyone. (You know every reality show has a “villain.”) From the beginning of this season to today, I have loved all of these dancers. All have mastered the art of being fierce competitors while being nice about it and supportive of each other. Again, this show is a great life lesson for those who choose to watch. The dancing is simply fantastic, and all the dancers are lovable. How can you root for just one? Most weeks, I don’t. Unlike Idol, instead of spending the two hours voting for one, I spend them voting for several. I do have my ultimate favorite, which I’m not revealing right now, but I will be happy with just about any of these dancers taking the crown. Notice the qualification: “just about.” There are some I’d rather see win than others, but I predict that I won’t be as upset as I was about Idol. Why? The judges treat them all fairly, and all receive an equal amount of camera time. I’m all about fairness. As long as the competition is fair, I’m happy.

If you’re not watching this show, it’s not too late to get in on the fun; eight dancers remain, and things are heating up. It’s getting harder and harder to vote for a favorite, but I find myself narrowing my choices down to two. Now, if those two end up competing against each other for the title, I’m in trouble. That’s the kind of trouble I like.

Shirley has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with an emphasis on Creative Writing, from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix.